Huge Winter Season At Maitland Regional Art Gallery To Begin With Special Celebration

Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) invites the community to be part of a special Winter Season opening weekend on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 June, as various exciting exhibitions launch.

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The season is headlined by ‘Shadow Boxer’, an exhibition that highlights the cultural fascination with boxing through the work of contemporary Australian artists with a keen interest in the cultural, historic and physical aspects of the sport.

On the Friday, audiences can hear from artists and descendants of local boxing heros, alongside musical performances. The celebrations continue over the Saturday with a special panel discussion. Hear from boxers, including former Australian Flyweight Champion Bianca ‘Bam Bam’ Elmir and Abdul Abdullah, and artists Karla Dickens and Richard Lewer.

Lewer will then lead a ‘Drawing Workout’ in the afternoon, which will have participants’ blood pumping encouraging creative expression through movement.

Accompanying this display are three other thought provoking and intriguing exhibitions including culturally diverse ‘Just Not Australian’, story of Indigenous resilience, ‘Barka: The Forgotten River’ and oil paintings of the Hunter Valley, ‘Impressions of a Journey’. All exhibitions are open until August.

MRAG Gallery Director Gerry Bobsien, says, ‘This is another action packed few months for MRAG with Shadow Boxer setting the pace for a cracking Winter season program.’

‘Through the sport of boxing, we experience stories of social and political struggle, grit and determination and this exhibition gives us the opportunity to take a closer look at the Gallery’s Les Darcy collection while bringing the voices of some of Australia’s leading artists into the conversation.’

Attendees at the launch can be the first to experience the four new exhibitions and explore the Gallery Shop for items linked to the artists on display while enjoying a complimentary refreshment.

The Winter Season opening weekend is free to attend, although registration is essential. The panel discussion is Auslan sign interpreted.

To find out more about the exhibitions and view the program of the Winter Season launch, visit mrag.org.au